French President Emmanuel Macron has formally acknowledged France’s involvement in the violent repression during Cameroon’s struggle for independence. This acknowledgement came in a letter signed on July 30 but was only disclosed on Tuesday, August 12, 2025.
The letter, addressed to Cameroonian President Paul Biya, follows the findings of a joint Franco-Cameroonian commission investigating France’s role in the fight for independence between 1945 and 1971.
Cameroon was originally a German colony, which was divided between Britain and France after World War I. Under United Nations trusteeship, the French-administered region gained independence in 1960, while the southern British Cameroons voted to join French Cameroon in a federation in 1961.
In his letter, Macron stated, “The commission’s historians clearly established that a war took place in Cameroon, during which French colonial authorities and military forces committed various forms of violent repression in several regions of the country. This war continued beyond 1960 with France’s support for actions taken by the independent Cameroonian authorities.”
Macron acknowledged France’s responsibility for the deaths of key independence leaders: Ruben Um Nyobè, Paul Momo, Isaac Nyobè Pandjock, and Jérémie Ndéléné, who were all killed between 1958 and 1960 during military operations led by French forces.
The French president committed to opening archives, supporting historical initiatives, and creating a joint working group to implement the commission’s recommendations. These efforts aim to reconcile historical memory and strengthen Franco-Cameroonian ties.
Beginning with 17th-century outposts and expanding in the 19th century, France established a vast colonial empire, particularly in Africa, which lasted until decolonisation in the 1960s.
This letter follows previous actions by Macron to address France’s colonial legacy, including acknowledging French responsibility in the 1994 Rwandan genocide and the Algerian War.
These gestures come amid changing dynamics in France’s relationships with African nations, especially as its presence in parts of the continent, particularly the Sahel, is increasingly being questioned.